Arizona Fall League Roster Breakdown: Peoria Javelinas

As Minor League Baseball wraps up, it is time to turn our attention to the Arizona Fall League. All Single-A and High-A affiliates are done, and Double-A playoffs are in full swing. While Triple-A is still in the regular season, it wraps up on Sunday. So as the season winds down, my mind is already in Arizona.

I will be out in the desert the second week of the AFL season to cover the league and the players there. So now is the time to break down each team’s roster and to give thoughts on players who could see their stock increase in the prospect world.

We will go team by team, alphabetically. So today, we start with Peoria. The team is comprised of prospects from the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners.

Could you do me a quick favor before you read this article? Fill out this brief survey to help make Dynasty Dugout better! It would mean a lot to me!

Peoria Javelinas Roster Breakdown

Pitchers

Best Arm

Luis De León highlights a Peoria team that lacks standout pitching names, so he claims the best arm on the roster, especially with how he finished the season.

In a 2025 season that has been marred by injury and limited De León to just 87 innings, he finished the year on a high note. In his final six starts, De León struck out at least eight batters in every start and included a career-high 12-strikeout game sprinkled in. In seven starts from the start of August forward, De León posted a 1.47 ERA with a 41 percent strikeout rate.

The 6’3” lefty has room to add to his frame, which has a list weight of 168, but he already has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s early in starts. It is a groundball-inducing offering. If he does add weight, it will help the velocity sustain deeper into the starts.

The slider sits in the mid-80s with good horizontal movement, and De León throws it to both-handed hitters. His changeup sits in the mid-to-upper 80s with nice fading action. He is prone to leaving it over the heart at times, leading to some hard-hit balls, but overall, it is a solid three-pitch mix.

Command and control can be issues at times, but De León has seen that improved the further he has gotten from injury. Cleaning up his mechanics slightly could lead to fewer walks and go a long way. The walk rate is down from last year, and over his last seven starts, that number has fallen to 7.9 percent to pair with a 30 percent strikeout rate.

Arm Who Could Increase Stock

Carson Montgomery was selected in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB draft out of Florida State. He pitched in just a handful of games before going down with an injury and needing Tommy John surgery in July 2024. Montgomery has returned to action now in the continuation league and is building up to pitch more innings in the Arizona Fall League.

In-game action last month, Montgomery was working 95-97 mph on the fastball, which is a good sign the velocity is coming back. Montgomery has a strong slider with two-plane break that can miss bats and is locating his arsenal well.

The command is presently below average, but if he can throw enough strikes, Montgomery has a chance to emerge as a fun arm in the fall league. When I watch the film, I can see Montgomery taking a leap this fall.

Sleeper Arm

Christian Little was once seen as a potential first-round type pitcher, but he never really panned out in college. After spending two years at Vanderbilt, Little transferred to LSU, where in two years there, he posted ERAs of 7.79 and 6.37. Being selected in the 11th round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Little put together a strong pro debut in 2025, despite pitching most of the year in Single-A.

Missing nearly two months with an injury, Little returned to action in August, and over those five starts, Little posted a 1.83 ERA with a 24 percent strikeout rate. Working his fastball in the mid-90s, Little has been up to 99 mph with strong traits on the pitch. Little also has an upper-80s cutter that has taken a step forward this year.

The upper-70s curveball has good depth to it, and Little pairs it with a sweeper that he throws less often. There is a mid-80s changeup in the arsenal, but Little uses it sparingly and just to lefties.

Hitters

Best Bat

Alfredo Duno mashed his way to another successful season, where he was able to stay healthy and get 495 plate appearances. Hitting home runs in his final two games, including one off the Cardinals’ 2025 first-rounder, Liam Doyle, Duno has been one of the best hitters in a very pitcher-friendly league.

Seeing Duno in person for the first time at All-Star weekend, I was impressed with how physical Duno truly was. The frame is huge and powerful. Duno finished the regular season with 18 home runs and 52 extra base hits while slashing .287/.430/.518.

Having a strong frame, Duno posts exceptional exit velocities, especially for his age. He has a 106 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, which is already in the plus power range, especially considering his age. The average exit velocity sits at 91 mph, and Duno puts the ball in the air on 62 percent of his batted balls. His bat speed allows him to get to the pull side easily as well, posting a pull rate near 50 percent.

The contact growth this year is notable. The overall contact rate sits at 70 percent for the season, but in July, that number was up to 77 percent. Since the All-Star break, it is up to 80 percent. Duno has a great eye at the plate and runs extremely low chase rates, down below 16 percent.

While there are questions about the contact, this could be a special profile. Duno might be one of the best-hitting catcher prospects in the game.

Bat Who Could Increase Stock

Hendry Mendez will be heading to the Arizona Fall League for the second time, but in a different uniform. Once part of the Brewers organization, Mendez was traded to the Phillies as part of the Oliver Dunn deal. The Phillies moved him to the Twins at the deadline as part of the Jhoan Duran deal at the 2025 deadline.

Mendez just put together his best career season in 2025, slashing .299/.399/.439 with 11 home runs and ten stolen bases. The home run total was as many as his previous three seasons combined.

The underlying data was solid as Mendez posted a 90th percentile exit velocity near 105 mph and had solid contact rates. The overall contact rate sat at 86 percent and chased less than 20 percent of pitches out of the zone. The in-zone contact rate was above 90 percent.

The problem is that Mendez hits the ball on the ground far too often, though he did see improvements this year. After having a groundball rate north of 60 percent in 2023 and 2024, Mendez saw the number drop to 54 percent this year. I could see Mendez being a very fun player to watch in Arizona.

Sleeper Bat

Braedon Karpathios is Rule 5 eligible this offseason, and the Padres want to see what they have in their home complex of Peoria. Sure, this outfield is pretty solid, so Karpathios may not play every day, but he is sure to make the most of his opportunities. Spending the majority of the year in High-A, Karpathios got promoted to Double-A to end the year. Between both stops, he slashed .249/.357/.413 with 15 home runs and nine stolen bases.

While contact can be an issue at times, Karpathios is a patient hitter who sometimes hurts himself by working deep into counts. His contact rate actually jumped in Double-A to nearly 77 percent to push his overall mark to 73 percent on the year.

The biggest thing we need to see from Karpathios is more pulled balls in the air. The 48 percent ground ball rate is higher than we like to see, but he pulled just 37 percent of batted balls, which hurts his ability to get to power. The ball will fly in Arizona, so Karpathios just needs to get the ball in the air, and he could put up respectable numbers. Reminder, this is a player who has put up wRC+ of 127, 115, and 122 in the last three seasons.